A-Jay

You and me both ~ As foul and the hard water season weather can be, just makes me appreciate what we get when it's over. Also might explain why there's such a rush of weekenders into the area from down state each summer. I don't mind earning it. A-Jay

No snow today but Plenty over the weekend though. Look at you booking the trips ! Adding to those passport stamps in order to get your string pulled is always a good time. Hope it all goes according to plan for you my friend. We were doing two a year there for a while but once I got the new rig had to pump the brakes a little. Either way - I do like having the trip & the flights planned, booked & paid for. Then it's only a matter of day dreaming & sleepless nights. A-Jay

It's been cold recently but seasonal air temps have been all over the place. Looks like that's going to continue. If this zany trend continues into open water season, might make the early open water conditions and getting on the water for more than a day at a time very challenging. Of course at this point, I'll take whatever I can get A-Jay

A-Jay (yup- a typical late January post right there)

Heard two folks wet through the ice on Houghton Lake over the weekend. Another human took a cold dip while straddling a snow machine. I think all were recovered OK except the snow machine. Alcohol may have been a factor. Either way, seems pretty risky at this point. A-Jay

85 Days ~ A-Jay

267 Days, 9 Hours & 56 Minutes . . . A-Jay

OK ~ Got it. A-Jay

Remove the seat and stand while you fish. A-Jay

Very responsible. A-Jay

Glad you guys were OK ~ This story plays out thousands of times every year up & down the east & west coast, for the entire length of the Mississippi River, on all the Great Lakes and Every lake, river & reservoir, bay & back water big enough for a ship, skiff, boat, kayak or canoe. Most get to retell their big pucker factor story, some do not. Despite my professional experience, or perhaps in spite of it, I would be lying if I said I haven't had one or two self-inflicted deals that sounded a lot like the one above. Bottom line - Macho can be a bad decision. Better safe than sorry rarely is. Stay Safe out there and Thank You for the Reminder. A-Jay

@NHBull Nailed it ~ Also I toss all my HUK tops in the dryer with no ill effects. Just set the dry/heat level a couple of ticks below FRY and you'll be good to go. A-Jay

Often seems that a 'reasonable price' can differ quite a bit depending on which end of the possible transaction one may find themselves. Generally, it may be high enough to cover the seller's costs and a reasonable margin, but not high enough for the seller to realize what the buyer considers excess profit. A reasonable price might not necessarily be the lowest price. And when supplies are low and demand is high - reasonable goes right out the window. May be what's going on with buyers looking to get into a used Pro-V Bass. I felt like the purchase price of my rig was reasonable. A-Jay

Busted this one out in a timely manner. Skipped the core work and traded it for Snow removal. Haven’t decided which one I prefer yet . . . . Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths. A-Jay

I do have a vinyl deck while it does collect a decent amount of debris, it's super easy to clean up while offering very stable footing; even when wet. Just don't get over spray on it from cleaning/treating your seats or you'll bust your Azz. Don't ask me how I know. I'm asked all the time so I've written it down and have it handy. My rigs dimensions on the custom Galvanized Bunk Shoreland'R trailer, including the 6 inch jack plate, the new V8 ProXS and the tongue collapsed are as follows: Length over all ~ 22 ft 8 inches Width ~ 8 ft 8 inches (104 inches) Height - (ProXS trim up and lower unit secured in transom saver) 82 inches 12 ft Talon height 86 inches (Tilt brackets make this a non-issue). I have a double sized attached garage and manage to 'just' slide in this rig and a full sized GMC Sierra with full cap. Like you, I have to do a lot of measuring in advance along with some hoping; Worked out OK. Good Luck A-Jay

Good Read. While on this Brown Bass Quest ~ Seems the 'right ones' are almost never alone. There's usually at least 3 or 4 together and on those very special places & times, it could be much, much more than that. As for being able to see neutral & active moods, my example revolves around brown bass that 'follow' a bait to the boat. Neutral fish will swim behind the bait leaving a good distance between them and my presentation that never changes. Their swim speed almost always matches the baits retrieval speed - if I stop or speed up the lure, they usually lose interest and fade back into the depths. I do not keep fishing for these but will come back later, usually from a slightly different angle. Active or feeding bass seem to 'track' a lure to the boat usually at a greater speed than the retrieve speed. They close on it in a hurry and any 'change' made by the bait is often met with a strike. But The Secret Sauce, is not to stop or even speed up the bait here, but instead just to slow it down a little so that the bass 'runs into the bait' - she'll often eat it without slowing down - hair jigs work magic here. Clear water and acute bait awareness is a must. So to keep this response on point - I'm looking at the 'posture' and attitude of following bass. Disinterested, lazy followers, get marked for later. Bass that charge or race at a bait, have a look that's seems similar to pelagic saltwater fish when they are 'lit up'. While the bass don't turn florescent green or blue certainly, their pectoral fins and sharp alert movements are just screaming "Feed Me" ! At which point, I drop a way point & the Talons. A-Jay

That's cold for your area ~ And we'd croak here if we got your summer heat for more than a hour or two. A-Jay

This drives How, Where & especially When, I bass fish. Every trip all season long. A-Jay

Fenway's determination to allude Tucker is admirable. But I think we can tell by his expression, it's only a matter of time . . .. . . . . . A-Jay

Seems once it sneaks below 10 degrees or so - It's just cold. And unless there's big wind - I can't really tell the difference. I'll admit, unlike my dogs, I don't 'hang out' in it very long. A-Jay

Seasonably Cool here locally this morning ~ A-Jay

For the 1/2 oz size ~ I like #2's Owner Short Shank Treble Hook ST-35 on the front and a Gamakatsu EWG Treble Short Shank Magic Eye on the back. An optional front treble choice could be same style & size - but something in red. A-Jay

Hate when a cable snaps - Hate it. I've jury rig a few deals when that happens in my day. Yea - I didn't show it but I routinely clear 'paths' out back. Leading to & from the kennel and to 'the zone' (area where the dogs do their business) Makes getting around in this stuff So Much Easier ! Either way, that's where the machine really show's off it's guts and those treads do their thing. Terrain back there is hilly, uneven and the snow drifts big back there. Big red will gobbles it up and launches it into the woods while yanking me along for the ride. This is the first model out the newer one has a left /right turning feature this one does not - unless you count me spin dragging it around - it a workout in itself. But you know I love it. A-Jay

We reside in a somewhat rural area - Most all the homes are set back a ways from the road. Some are several hundred yards back in the woods. My home was not visible from the road when we purchased it 2007. Took down several trees out front to open it up a bit. In the township we live in, I don't think you can purchase a home with less than 3 acres of land. A-Jay

Thanks, but I can't take credit for this one. Been a stable in Mexico since Mr Yamamato first introduced his stick bait. A-Jay